Even though I have two beautiful little Galwegians for grandchildren I can still feel the pain the Westerners inflicted on Kerry in the early to mid 1960s.
On that basis alone, without even thinking of the deeper notion of heritage and whatever it is that makes my heart pound in my chest when I see our county’s boys running onto the field, I’m a Kerry man.
In Defiance of Gravity
It’s the kind of thing which drives men of advancing years to pull ladders from sheds and, in defiance of gravity and touches of lumbago and vertigo, climb onto roofs of houses and plant flags on chimneys.
Pack of Photographers
I had to move away from the midst of a pack of photographers one evening in Tralee as the Kerry minors played Clare in the semi-final of the Munster Championship.
Kieran Brennan was on the team and he was doing great gaisce around midfield.
He capped it all by kicking one of the finest points you’d wish to see into the town goal.
I immediately felt the lump grab my throat and the ducts behind my eyes losing their battle against a flood and I had to escape for shame’s sake.
I suppose we should remember that it takes the whole county to form and make footballers and it takes them to bring back the prize to close the circle.
Supplying Transport
Ahern’s and Divane’s here in Castleisland have been supplying transport to county footballers and managers respectively for years now and that’s another aspect of the ring of support that’s rightly there for them.
Handed Over the Keys
Only a few weeks ago, Kerry manager, Eamonn Fitzmaurice picked up his 172 VW Tiguan as Divane’s sales team members, Paul Langston and Brendan O’Sullivan handed over the keys.
Kerry footballer, Brendan O’Sullivan has been on the Divanes Castleisland team since the beginning of the year.
©Photograph: John Reidy
Loving Connections with Galway
In spite of my loving connections with and genuine fondness for Galway, I’ve been thrown into the depths of despair by its great footballers too often in my formative years for the scars to ever heal or the memories to fade.
Come on The Kingdom. Go n-éirí an bóthar libh !
Today’s Kerry Team: Brian Kelly, Fionn Fitzgerald, Mark Griffin, Shane Enright, Peter Crowley, Tadhg Morley, Paul Murphy, David Moran, Jack Barry, Michael Geaney, Johnny Buckley, captain; Donnchadh Walsh, Paul Geaney, Kieran Donaghy and James O’Donoghue.
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